The present invention relates to the field of graphical user interfaces, and in particular to help systems employed in graphical user interfaces.
It is known to deploy interactive help systems in graphical user interfaces (GUIs) for a wide variety of products and systems, including both software products (applications) and hardware products (computer-related components, other consumer electronics, etc.). A typical help system includes an organized set of displayable pages containing pertinent information on all the functions/features of the target product or system. For example, there may be pages related to setup and configuration, other pages related to regular operation, and yet other pages related to troubleshooting or other types of problem solving.
In many cases a help system is designed and implemented along with a GUI that is either part of the target product or part of an application used in conjunction with the target product. In one example, a help system may be included in a GUI for a storage management application used to manage the operation of computer storage systems. One such application is known by the name Unisphere® sold by EMC Corporation. In such cases the help system can be seen as essentially an extension of the target system that the help is used for, and in particular an extension of the target system as viewed and described by the manufacturer of the system and not necessarily the purchasers or third parties that may be involved with the sale or use of the target system. In other words, when a target system is deployed in a specific environment, the help system reflects information about the target system in a general way and normally not in any way reflecting the particular environment of deployment.
Another features of interactive help systems, like other GUI components, is their design and implementation using automated tools. The basic structure and functioning of help systems, for example, is well established and common across a large number of instances, so automation makes technical and economic sense. A manufacturer may provide raw information about a target system, and the design tools can be applied to the raw information to create a complete, functional help system.